Frits Godhelp

(8 September 1927 - 2009, The Netherlands)

Frits Godhelp was a longtime artist with the Dutch Toonder Studios. Born in Amsterdam in 1927, he joined the studios in 1943. He started out inking film cells for the animation department, but was eventually assigned to work on the comics projects. He worked on many of the studio's newspaper comics, mainly as an inker, such as 'Olle Kapoen' for Handelsblad, 'Kappie', and 'Tom Poes'. He also cooperated on the weekly 'Tom Poes' comcis for Donald Duck and Revue.

Godhelp was also present in Tom Poes Weekblad with his own comics, such as 'Bas en van der Pluim' (1947-50) and 'Baron Bluff en Bartholomeus'. He was one of the few artists actually employed by the comics department, and worked in the studio in Toonder's castle in Nederhorst ten Berg together with Wim Lensen and Richard Klokkers. Therefore, he participated in many of the studio's running productions, including the 'Pelle Svanslös' strip for the Swedish market.

Although the comics department closed down in 1973, Godhelp, Klokkers and Jaap Lamberton remained with the studios together until the 1980s. Godhelp and Lamberton were responsible for several stories of the 'Panda' newspaper strip from the mid 1980s until 1991. In addition to his work for Toonder, Godhelp drew a great many stories starring Disney's 'Little Hiawatha' for Donald Duck on a freelance basis between 1973 and 1985.